Keeping the power in their hand ; the agenda behind the new political bill and the repression to Papernas

Katarina Pujiastuti

(30 April 2007) - Ever since pro market-policy introduces, poverty, injustice and oppression are the common experience of the Poor’s daily lives.

List of the injustice is too long to describe in this rich country where Chevron, Exxon mobile oil and other giant corporations collect millions in the land where more than 40 million people live with less than a dollar per day. The country which provides all necessary flexibilities in terms of regulation and tax- elimination for foreign investment, despite 10 million of its workers are thrown into unemployment and million others being trapped in insecure job.

Everyday, media publishes starvation, malnutrition and impoverishment as a reality faced by the people who live in the countries with abundant natural resources. Although media have widely published its economic decline in statistics still that do not represent millions whose lives are sacrificed by the pro-market policy.

Protests have sparked from various sectors across the country condemning injustice and to bring the rights back to the people. Restless voices begin questioning: what will free us from all of these? Then this question will lead to the next question: What is a necessary thing to do to bring the sovereignty to the people ?

In this critical situation, on January 18-21, 2006 The National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas) emerged as an alternative party that determines to unify various democratic organizations. Papernas launches its three strategic programs that will overcome this ongoing crisis. The program consists of ; Repudiation of Foreign debt, Nationalization of mining industries and Strengthening and Protecting the National industries for people’s welfare. Therefore the solution, being directly contradicted the role of International capital is then considered as a serious threat to the ruling class whose later, as a counter-reaction, starts to launch series of repression and violence.

Stumbling block through politic and through repression

The first action is to label Papernas as a communist organization and use anti-democratic groups to stop any Papernas’ activities. Thirty two years of Suharto’s military dictatorship that demonizing communist has produced a strong impact to Indonesian people, despite the fact that Communist Party-suspected Coup in 1965 have never been proved and still very much an endless debates by national and overseas historians.

As a result, Papernas then has to face experiences on repression. The groups, whatever their names are, have similar character intimidated and repressed various events. The group who called themselves Anti-communist group (FAKI) intended to disperse the declaration of Party’s Preparatory committees last January this year. FAKI also intimidated Party Founding congress. On March 29, the group who called themselves as Islam defender forum (FPI) attacked PAPERNAS convoy and injured 12 participants, mostly women. All the threat and repression happened in front of the police who took no serious action to them. State apparatus negligence has reaffirmed the political motive behind the attack.

Besides repression, the rulers conduct political action as well. The ruling parties that strongly defend neoliberal policy would not tolerate people’s movement to come in their way. Then they put forward a political bill that aim to limit the people’s participation on election. By pushing a much more difficult requirements. The bill designs to render new political party to flourish. In order to get registered as the election candidate any political party must deposit five billion Rupiah (US$ 500.000). Furthermore the party must establish its structures in 66% of the entire number of provinces , 75% of the total district and 50% of the sub district.

The ten-year-celebration of the downfall of the Suharto’s dictatorship has nearly come. But democracy in this 220 million-inhabited country is going through a fragile and very unstable way. The new-born democracy have found itself step into the trap of globalization, in which neoliberal policy is legitimized and justified by what so called the state’s democratic institutions. On the other hand, this pro-neoliberal government has no intention to exercise its resources to seriously protect and defend democracy, being busy itself maintaining political supports from various Islamic groups and figures.

Providing an alternative political power is then the only rational way left for the democratic movement. We, the new party, Papernas, consider our self as trying to fulfill this role, despite the mounting pressure and repression. We believe that an alternative is what this nation needed. And Papernas is there, simply to give them hope that another Indonesia , a very different one, is possible.

Labels: Analysis, Anti-Neoliberal Imperialism, Indonesian Politics